This application is the national phase under 35 U.S.C. xc2xa7371 of PCT International Application No. PCT/DE01/00830 which has an International filing date of Mar. 5, 2001, which designated the United States of America and which claims priority on German Patent Application number DE 100 13 319.3 filed Mar. 17, 2000, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention generally relates to an electromagnetic switching device. In particular, it relates to a contactor, having a lower part, an arcing chamber which can be removed from the lower part, a contact link support and a spring-loaded blocking element, in which the contact link support is held in the lower part, projects into the arcing chamber and can be moved in an operating direction, in which the contact link support can be locked by using the blocking element when the arcing chamber is removed, in which the blocking element is held in the lower part and is in the form of a lever which can pivot about a pivoting axis.
A switching device is known, for example, from DE 43 41 330 C1. The known switching device already operates quite well, but the blocking element requires a relatively large amount of space.
A similar electromagnetic switching device is known from DE 34 02 836 A1. In this switching device, the blocking element is mounted in the contact link support.
An electromagnetic switching device is known from DE 195 47 011 C1, in which the contact link support can be locked in its connected position by use of a lever which can pivot, in which case the lever can pivot about a pivoting axis which runs at right angles to the operating direction of the contact link support.
An object of an embodiment of the present invention is to further develop a switching device which is more compact. An object may be achieved by using a pivoting axis which runs at right angles to the operating direction. If the pivoting element is guided in a bush bearing during pivoting, for example, the blocking element bearing may be particularly simple.
If the blocking element is held in a captive manner in the lower part, the switching device may be particularly reliable in operation. The captive retention can be provided, for example, by the blocking element and the lower part having latching elements which interact in order to hold the blocking element in the lower part, in which case at least one of the latching elements can be deflected in a sprung manner in the direction of the pivoting axis.
If the blocking element interacts with the contact link support in a locking region, and has a ramp incline in the locking region, the contact link support can be configured as required without there being any risk of it undesirably remaining stuck in position before reaching the locked position.
If the blocking element is manually accessible and can be operated manually when the arcing chamber is removed, it is particularly simple to test the switching device for correct operation.
The test is even simpler if, apart from the blocking element, the switching device has no further blocking element for locking the contact link support.